Buckle.



NITED STATES ARTHUR T. P. MALINS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,331, dated October24, 1899.

Application filed July 16, 1898. Serial No. 686,095. (No model.)

To ail whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR W. P. MALINs, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inClasps, of which the following is a description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings,

wherein Figure 1 is a top view. Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3 is a View,on an enlarged scale, showing the corrugated face of the pinch-bar andthe parts immediately appurtenant thereto.

The object of the improvement is the production of anautomatically-closing clasp into which a strap or the like (to besecured thereby) may be introduced at the side and without the troubleof introducing such strap into the strap-eye endwise. While this devicemay be useful in harnesses and the like, it is primarily intended forapplication to suspenders or other similar purpose on garments.

In the accompanying drawings the letter a denotes what may be termed thestrapeye of the clasp, made in substantially rectangular form, with itslonger axis transverse to the body, and one end of which, near its innerlonger side, is open, as at b, so as to permit the edgewise introductionof the strap into the strap-eye. The upper face of the end arm of theeye adjacent said opening is beveled toward it, and the lower face ofthe pinch-bar hereinafter described is correspondingly beveled tocooperate therewith.

The letter 0 denotes the body of the clasp connected with the strap-eyein which the thumb-lever d is pivotally hung.

The letter 6 denotes a spring which has a tendency to constantly pressthe thumb-lever, so as to carry the pinch-bar (described below) into itsclosed position, which is of course the position it has when it isgripping a strap or the like.

The letter f denotes the pinch-bar, which is carried on the thumb-leverpreferably and practically integral with it and extends laterally eachside thereof. This pinch-bar is of a contour corresponding with theinterior shape of the strap-eye and smaller than such eye on all sidessave one, Where its extension 9 (hereinafter described) overlaps thesame and rests thereon, so as to prevent the pinch-bar from passingentirely through the eye, while at the same time permitting its fronttransverse edge to cooperate with the inner wall of the eye to clamp thestrap firmly between them.

It will of course be understood that the pinch-bar is. raised when oneis about to introduce a strap edgewise into the strap-eye, and thepinch-bar is then permitted to fall in order to grip the strap in place.The 0perative face of this pinch-bar is preferably corrugated obliquely,as shown in Fig. 3, and the function and advantage of such corrugationsare that they serve to prevent the dis placement of the straplongitudinally and laterally.

The letter 9 denotes the extension on the pinch-bar which bars theopening I) in the side of the strap-eye when the pinch-bar is in theclosed position, and thereby prevents the strap from accidentallyescaping edgewise out of the strap-eye.

- The letter h denotes a loop at the other end of the clasp-bod y c forthe permanent attachment of a strap or the'like after the usual fashion.Preferably the strap-eye a,the claspbody 0, and the loop h are all ofone piece of metal, and practically and preferably the thumb-lever, thepinch-bar, and the extension borne on the pinch-bar are all of one pieceof metal.

What is claimed as new is In a clasp, the combination with the body ofthe clasp provided with a strap-loop at one end and a rectangularstrap-eye at its other end having a side opening at one corner, the endarm of the eye being beveled on its upper side toward said opening; of apinch-bar adapted to close the eye and having a lateral extensionbeveled on its lower face to contact with the beveled portion of saidarm and bar the opening in the eye, as and for the purpose set forth.

ARTHUR W. P. MALINS.

Witnesses:

W. E. SIMONDs, ANITA LOOMIS.

